In this intriguing dialogue, an established pagan and a respected Christian theologian engage in open, honest conversations about human spirituality and belief. Paganism is a rapidly expanding belief system, and this helpful exchange both introduces novices to its basic tenets and compares them to the beliefs and ideals behind Christianity. Such topics as the nature of spirituality, who or what is deity, how humans relate to the divine, the sacred feminine, gender, and sexuality are all addressed, along with specific debates involving the teachings and claims of Jesus. Offering a fair assessment and valuable insights into both faith systems, this is an engaging look at the state of belief in the modern world.
{"itemData":[{"priceBreaksMAP":null,"buyingPrice":13.46,"ASIN":"0745952720","isPreorder":0},{"priceBreaksMAP":null,"buyingPrice":12.14,"ASIN":"0310329264","isPreorder":0},{"priceBreaksMAP":null,"buyingPrice":30.64,"ASIN":"1405119594","isPreorder":0}],"shippingId":"0745952720::31vCyPpHJdzhQTINtTpjg%2FEN%2Fh265nqyxNFjONrGHK%2B%2BumDaHPj6lvblteImEtiSWWM2qkxDj3kuAlVMjrvPrkynKR4VeVL4Eofv6cbu2tY%3D,0310329264::fJ03kFLklKYOGbqTkEVnPFPCpGFmtppZ5DzmU5zuFtW7KNkT3uKMjjfFVN3A83AKHWm5XQRIVElYgS3hREjOdBp0%2FXxsOEUdnojvZPiTQOwcuh5aGQ5C0g%3D%3D,1405119594::X6vVE%2Beuv%2FMjpHwzbKmyQcX%2BEUErxAO1kdWIKMd6dFujp%2FEYGglkohpqxGW5qOvwE2a7mIeO1cOcVWgFCdJVcyUHFCuYprSvGrh97agqa0o%3D","sprites":{"addToWishlist":["wl_one","wl_two","wl_three"],"addToCart":["s_addToCart","s_addBothToCart","s_add3ToCart"],"preorder":["s_preorderThis","s_preorderBoth","s_preorderAll3"]},"currenyCode":"USD","shippingDetails":{"xz":"same","yz":"same","xy":"same","xyz":"same"},"tags":["x","y","z"],"strings":{"addToWishlist":["add to wishlist","Add both to Wish List","Add all three to Wish List"],"addToCart":["Add to Cart","Add both to Cart","Add all three to Cart"],"showDetailsDefault":"Show availability and shipping details","shippingError":"An error occurred, please try again","hideDetailsDefault":"Hide availability and shipping details","priceLabel":["Price:","Price for both:","Price for all three:"],"preorder":["Pre-order this item","Pre-order both items","Pre-order all three items"]}}
Philip Johnson is the founder of Global Apologetics & Mission and the coauthor of Jesus and the Gods of the New Age. Gus diZerega is a Third Degree Wiccan Gardnerian Elder and the author of Pagans & Christians. He lives in Sebastopol, California.
Philip Johnson is an Australian author and theologian. He divides his time between writing and supervising students undertaking theological studies. He has had the "writer's bug" since childhood, and enjoys reading just as much as writing. He has a range of avocational interests in films, is a lifelong fan of the BBC science-fiction show Doctor Who, and of authors such as John Le Carre, J.R.R.Tolkien, C.S.Lewis, Arthur Conan Doyle, and Herge.
He is a graduate of the University of Sydney (BA & BD), and of the Australian College of Theology (MTh). He also studied (by audit only) Animal Law in 2005 at the University of NSW. He has been a guest lecturer at Morling College in apologetics and alternative religious movements. He has co-written several books with Ross Clifford, and one also with John Drane with books published in Australia, England and the United States of America. He has contributed chapters to other books including Encountering New Religious Movements (Kregel 2004), Pop! Goes the Witch (Disinformation, 2004), and Tough-Minded Christianity (B & H Academic, 2008). He has written over 100 articles in various Australian periodicals and also been published in peer-review journals such as Australian Religion Studies Review, Lutheran Theological Journal, and Missiology. He is currently working on two books about animals and Christianity.
Philip has an author blog called Animals Matter to God, and a book-blog for The Cross Is Not Enough
I think I can whole-heartedly state that this is the best book of its kind (so far), and should be read by as many Pagans and Christians as possible. It represents a quantum leap forward in Pagan-Christian relations.
I'm very pleased that Gus diZerega was chosen to represent a Pagan perspective and treated as an equal. His history of interfaith work, and deep understanding of Pagan theologies, makes him a perfect representative. Obviously, as a Pagan, I agree far more often with Gus than I do with Philip, but that is to be expected. I appreciated Philip Johnson's calm and even-handed responses to Gus, and his love-centered view of the gospels. There were a few instances where each"talked past" the other, but I suspect that is a normal hazard of such dialogs.
If you are a Pagan with Christian relatives, this is a great "first book" to give them. Likewise, if you are a Christian trying to understand a Pagan friend or relative I would urge you to turn to "Beyond the Burning Times" before heading to some of the more sensationalistic Christian-penned works.
